Call Me MiSTER

What is Call Me MiSTER?

The Call Me MiSTER (Mentors Instructing Students Toward Effective Role models) program was founded originally at Clemson University in 2000. The program strives to increase the pool of available teachers from a more diverse background, particularly among the State's lowest performing elementary schools. Student participants are largely selected from among under-served, socio-economically disadvantaged and educationally at-risk communities. Call Me MiSTER serves students at 18 participating colleges within South Carolina and 8 national partner institutions, including Georgia College!

Mission

Access, affordability and inclusive excellence are central to Georgia College’s liberal arts mission and are key to the success of GC’s Call Me MiSTER program as the only such initiative in the state. GC’s Call Me MiSTER program will build educational leadership by recruiting and training students from underrepresented backgrounds to become transformational teachers within the state of Georgia. Our MiSTERs will become Master Teachers who are not only effective educators, but valuable mentors for their students as well.

Program participants will complete a bachelor’s degree in one of the College of Education’s field-based cohort programs.

A cohort model for social and cultural support within the College of Education and through activities specific to Call Me MiSTER

Mentorship through the SOAR and African-American Male Initiative Programs

Immediate exposure to a classroom environment during their freshman year

Support and preparation for the GACE Program Admission Assessment

Assistance with job placement

Vision Statement

Students within the Call Me MiSTER program are guided by the following vision statement:

I am a dedicated Servant Leader who is perpetuating a sorely needed concept - Servant-Leaders as role models in elementary schools. I am devoted to planting seeds of dignity and respect in children and inspiring them to cultivate those seeds producing a crop of unprecedented success. I will teach reading, writing and arithmetic and progress to self-esteem, imagination and determination. Because of my immeasurable promise, not only have I earned your respect, I demand it! A title is only important if ones' character and integrity dictate its use. When you address me, please verbalize my destiny... please do not call me by my first name... call me in reference to my great vision... call me MiSTER!

Welcome to the official website of GC’s Call Me MiSTER program. My name is Emmanuel Little; I’m from Macon, Ga., and I graduated from GC with a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication in 2007 and once more in 2010 with a master’s degree in Public Administration. As someone who is deeply invested in this institution and the community, I am excited to take the challenge of helping lead a program as important as Call Me MiSTER.

Education is perhaps the most powerful and transformative tool that we have at our disposal. I believe that teachers can truly change the world through their daily interactions with the next generation of leaders within their classrooms. I can still remember the impact that certain teachers had not only upon my retention of the subject matter being taught but also upon my entire worldview. Unfortunately, there are very few instances where I had an instructor who resembled myself. Call Me MiSTER exists to change that dynamic forever.

Given that Black males in particular account for a miniscule percentage of teachers nationwide, the mission of Call Me MiSTER is imperative toward pushing a paradigm shift in how we see educators, the subjects they teach, and most importantly, the children being taught. I fully expect Georgia College’s Call Me MISTER program to produce talented teachers who will become leaders for transformational change throughout school systems in the state of Georgia.

In order to be accepted into the Call Me MiSTER program, students must first apply to be accepted into Georgia College. Once accepted into GC, students must submit the following materials for Call Me MISTER by the priority deadline of March 1, 2018.

Why do you want to teach and how will you be a benefit to the profession?

How will you be an asset to our program?

How do you envision yourself, and how will you make a difference in the lives of others as an educator?

What do you foresee as the biggest challenge for you as a (future) teacher and how will you embrace these challenges?

Two letters of recommendation from an educator, counselor, community leader or principal that express the student’s motivation for entering the teaching profession and ability to make an a positive impact through education

Resume including extracurricular activities and accomplishments

Following the submission of the items above, an interview will be scheduled with prospective program participants to ascertain their potential for teaching and their motivations for participation in the program, as well as to provide an opportunity for clarification of any information submitted through the application process.

Once accepted into the Call Me MiSTER program, students are expected to adhere to the following expectations.

MiSTERS are strongly preferred to major in either Early Childhood Education, Special Education, or Middle Grades Education. However, applicants who are choosing alternate pathways toward teaching, such as Music Education, Math with a Teaching Concentration, etc. are encouraged to apply and will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Maintain a 3.00 GPA

Maintain full-time enrollment at Georgia College

Attend all Call Me MiSTER-related activities and meet regularly with the Director to discuss progress

Maintain frequent interaction/involvement with their respective College of Education cohorts and fulfill all associated requirements

While not required, MiSTERs are strongly encouraged to reside within the designated Call Me MiSTER living-learning community

Each MiSTER is expected to complete his program of study, obtain a teacher certification and assume a teaching position in a Georgia public school. The MiSTER will teach at least one year for each year he receives financial support from the Call Me MISTER program.

In an effort to build a larger pipeline for greater teacher diversity, our Call Me MiSTER program established the Rising MiSTER Academy in summer 2015. This annual initiative is a week-long experience where participants live in the residence halls, eat meals in the university dining hall, meet current MiSTERs and get valuable information about careers in the classroom. Students also meet various leaders in education from the area! The Rising MiSTER Academy is completely free and open to any high school male interested in becoming a teacher. All applicants must include the following:

Telephone

You can make a gift by telephone using your American Express, MasterCard, Visa or Discover card by calling 478-445-5400 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Make sure you verbally tell the representative that you wish for your gift to be restricted to Call Me MiSTER.

Mail

Personal or business checks may be written to the Georgia College & State University Foundation and mailed to: